A homeless man pauses on a set of steps in Manhattan on July 24, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by AFP)

Islam Times - The rich "will not be gaining at all" from US President Donald Trump’s tax plan, claims the New York billionaire.

The president defended his tax plan among reporters amid a meeting with US lawmakers at the White House

"I think the wealthy will be pretty much where they are," he said. "If we can do that, we'd like it. If they have to go higher, they'll go higher, frankly. We're looking at the middle class and we're looking at jobs.”

Trump said his meeting with the centrist House representatives from both sides of the aisle would also include discussions about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

"More and more we're trying to work things out together, and it's a positive thing and it's good for the Republicans and good for the Democrats," said the Republican president.

Hanging out with Dems

Trump has been increasing his outreach to Democrats in the wake of his recent deal with the Democratic leaders to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling through December 15.

“We essentially came to a deal, and I think the deal will be very good," he told reporters aboard Air Force One earlier this month. "So we have an extension, which will go out to December 15th.”

Many of the party lawmakers have already declared that they would not throw their support behind a tax bill that cuts taxes for the wealthiest Americans.

Top Democrats, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi were also set to meet with Trump to discuss DACA and healthcare.

Trump has said that his administration would end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an Obama-era program that offers protection to young undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children.

He has ordered a phased-out dismantling of DACA that gives a gridlocked Congress six months to decide the fate of these immigrants.